Family-Centered Helpgiving
Studies and Initiatives
Practitioner Adoption and Adherence to Family Support Principles
This line of research is investigating ways of both measuring and ascertaining the
degree to which practitioners working with young children and their families use helpgiving
behavior and practices that are aligned with family support principles. The study includes
more than 1000 parents and other primary caregivers whose children have been involved in the
Family, Infant and Preschool Program during a 14-year period of time. Results are reported in
Measuring and Evaluating Family Support Program Quality (Winterberry Press).
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This study is investigating the influences of both personal and environmental
(work setting) factors on practitioner use of capacity-building helpgiving practices.
A major focus of this investigation is the manner in which practitioner personal belief
systems influence the adoption of helpgiving styles and practices that support and
strengthen active parent participation in procuring desired resources for their children and families.
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This line of research is focusing on the extent to which variations in practitioner use
of family-centered helpgiving practices is directly and indirectly related to variations in
different aspects of child, parent, and family functioning. The outcomes constituting the
focus of investigation include, but are not limited to, parent personal control appraisals,
parent and family well-being, parenting competence and confidence, and child behavioral functioning.
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This study is using a multiphase evaluation model and framework for assessing different
aspects of child and parent participation in Family Resource Centers (FRC) and measuring the
extent to which variations in types of participation are associated with differences in child
and parent competence and confidence. Variations in the use of family-centered practices by FRC
staff are being measured as part of the evaluation, where variations in family-centered practices
are related to child and parent benefits. A unique feature of this study is an assessment of the
extent to which different aspects of child and parent participation and practitioner helpgiving
influence child development outcomes.
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This study is investigating the extent to which the participatory processes and practices
used by early childhood practitioners as part of home-based interventions strengthen parent
capacity to provide their children development-enhancing learning opportunities. The study is
specifically investigating the manner in which parenting competence and confidence is strengthened
and enhanced using a family-centered, capacity-building approach to early childhood intervention and family support.
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Different studies investigating different aspects of family-centered helpgiving are being reviewed and synthesize with
a focus on the particular types of family-centered practices that are associated whith child, parent, and family
benefits.
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